Home Is Where The Heart Is
by BadWolfKaily
Summary: RootxShaw prompt- Root says "Your smile is perfect." Shaw says to Root "Let's go home." Root responds with "I'm already there." Quotes from NCIS LA.


Root wasn't expecting to run into Shaw, her mind was so far away from that thought, so when she was making her way back to Shaw's old apartment, now her apartment. She really wasn't expecting to be greeted by her in the alleyway outside her building. She really wasn't expecting her to quite literally start beating her up. Root tried her best to defend against the blows and refused to hit her back.

"Shaw, what are you doing?" Root cried, not exactly the first words she'd thought she'd be saying to her when they were reunited.

But no words were uttered from the compact Persian, a darkness to her eyes that made Root shiver.

 _That's not Sameen anymore._

Faltering Root let her guard down and found herself rushing to block a blow to her head, knocking her into the brick wall. Breathing hard, a split lip, Root just looked up at the vicious killer that was once her Shaw.

"Sameen, please. Whatever Samaritan did to you, you're stronger than them, fight it!"

"Why don't you shut up and fight me!?"

A kick to Root's stomach sent her slumping over, fight to catch the breath suddenly knocked out of her, coughing, "I-I'm not," wheezing, "I'm, never-going….to fight...you."

"Then you'll die, as long as you're alive Samaritan can't fully flourish."

It's raining now and Root swears it always rains when she's sad. Seeing Shaw like this is breaking her heart and she feels like there isn't anything she can do. Nothing to do but to let Shaw kill her because she'd rather die than lay a finger on the woman she loves. Shaw's hands are around her throat, pinning her against the wall.

"Samaritan said it would be this easy to take you out. Did your Machine see this coming?"

Struggling to shake her head Root just bites her bleeding lip, "Please, Sameen, I never gave up on searching for you. You're stronger than this. Remember Alaska?"

A faint memory, a whisper, a flashback lights up the darkness clouding Shaw's mind.

"I could get used to this," Shaw smiles looking down at her cup of hot chocolate.

Root smiles and for once no words escape from her mouth, she just rests her head against Shaw's shoulder and stares into the fireplace in front of them. Another number saved and sent on their way. It's in these rare moments that Shaw lets down her guard, she stops the fighting Root and they just are. They are perfect for each other, that's what they are. Root grasps the cup from Shaw's hand and places it on the floor beside her at Shaw's head starting to droop, but the smile still laced on her lips.

"You're smile is perfect," Root nudges at Shaw's neck with her lips.

Shaw's smile just grows even wider as she leans into Root, "Let's go home."

Lacing her fingers through Shaw's she places a gentle kiss to her neck and whispers, "I'm already there."

Shaw hums an exhausted agreement and falls asleep next to Root in front of a roaring fire on a bear skin rug that Shaw will comment in the morning to being so cliche it makes her sick.

Then the memory fades, but there is still that smile, that sense of home. Home. Root. Home. She's Root's home and Root is her's.

Smiles and whispers of home.

The hands leaving finger marks around Root's neck loosen.

"Home."

And Root lets out a bittersweet laugh, because she knows, she knows that Shaw remembers now. They always say you hurt the ones you love. So Shaw must really really love her. She laughs in her head.

Shaw is looking at her hands, a sadness she's never felt before radiating from her heart, guilt.

"Root? I, I'm sorry, I didn't know what I was doing."

Shaw is looking at the battered wet mess of a face she never thought she'd miss as much as she had. Taking a step forward to help Root up and a hand is being held up to halt Shaw's actions.

"I'm warning you," Root smiles sincerely, "if you take one step closer, I'm never letting you go."

Stepping forward and wrapping her whole self around Root, "Idiot, then never let me go."

Root cries and yet the rain lets up embracing Shaw like she's never letting her go again, "You're home."

"Yeah, Root, I'm home."

And Shaw is smiling and taking in the scent that is Root, definitely the smell of home.


End file.
